US hawks push Trump on multibillion-dollar Taiwan arms deal ahead of Xi summit

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How it spread - 31 original reports

1. Wed, 5 August 2026

   3 reports
   • South China Morning Post15:00first to report
     US hawks push Trump on multibillion-dollar Taiwan arms deal ahead of Xi summit

     Washington has reopened discussions on billions in arms sales to Taiwan, casting a shadow over a leaders’ summit just weeks away – a meeting already burdened by bilateral trade frictions. US President Donald Trump is expected to submit a US$14 billion Taiwan arms package to the US Congress soon, according to senior Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul on Tuesday. “I am confident the president will forward soon another package to Congress with an additional US$14 billion in critical military...

   • ltn.com.tw19:00
     《TAIPEI TIMES》Lai unveils budget aimed at cutting deficit - 焦點 - 自由時報電子報

     By Chen Yun and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerPresident William Lai （賴清德） on Tuesday unveiled a NT$3.6 trillion （US$111.4 billion） government budget for next year focusing on balancing the national deficit, slashing taxes and raising wages.

   • ltn.com.tw19:00
     《TAIPEI TIMES》US arms package to boost T-Dome project: source - 焦點 - 自由時報電子報

     By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA reported US arms package rumored to be valued about US$14 billion would be focused on anti-air defenses, missiles for layered deterrence and other products to help bolster Taiwan’s T-Dome project and prevent the Chinese Communist Party （CCP） from invading Taiwan, military sources said on condition of anonymity.

2. Sat, 8 August 2026

   1 report
   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     Defense spending to top NT$1.1 trillion

     The Cabinet is to approve next year’s budget on Aug. 20, with defense spending topping NT$1.1 trillion (US$34.07 billion) and NT$240 billion earmarked for a special budget, sources said yesterday.Next year’s central government revenue is expected to be NT$3.8 trillion, up 35.7 percent from this year

3. Sun, 9 August 2026

   3 reports
   • Channel News Asia08:56
     Taiwan's 2027 defence spending to rise 16%: Official media reports

     The move will come as China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military and political pressure over the past few years to assert its claims.

   • Japan Times09:07
     Taiwan’s 2027 defense spending to rise 16%, official media reports

     Taiwan's Cabinet will propose a budget for 2027 that will for the first time exceed 1 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($31 billion).

   • slguardian.org10:00
     Taiwan Set to Approve Record Defence Budget Exceeding NT$1.1 Trillion

     Taiwan’s Cabinet is expected to approve next year’s central government budget on August 20, with defence spending projected to exceed NT$1.1 trillion (US$34.07 billion) and a further NT$240 billion earmarked...

4. Mon, 10 August 2026

   1 report
   • Bloomberg Politics01:29
     Taiwan Plans Record Defense Budget to Counter China, Report Says

     Taiwan plans to spend a record NT$1.1 trillion ($34.1 billion) on its military in 2027, a semi-official media outlet reported, a move that comes as the US pushes it to do more to deter China.

5. Tue, 11 August 2026

   2 reports
   • taipeitimes.com16:00edited after publishing
     Officials and lawmakers clash over drone funding

     Government officials and opposition lawmakers yesterday clashed over funding for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers demanding that the regular budget be used for military drones.KMT lawmakers presented their drone budget plan at a public hearing also atte

   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     Vincentian PM pledges support, urges investment

     Visiting Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday yesterday pledged that his new administration is ready to usher in a “next chapter” in the two countries’ 45-year diplomatic relationship, while calling for increased Taiwanese investment to strengthen bilateral ties.Speaking at

6. Sat, 15 August 2026

   2 reports
   • Al Jazeera English04:44
     Taiwan passes defence budget after record delay, retains drone funding

     Taiwan parliament ends deadlock, ensuring vital drone programme funding amid rising cross-strait tensions with Beijing.

   • Anadolu Agency (AA)11:47
     Taiwan approves 2026 budget after record 266-day delay, keeps $2B drone fund

     Lawmakers have voted to ​cut originally proposed spending of nearly $94.8B by $1.4B

7. Mon, 17 August 2026

   8 reports
   • Channel News Asia08:33
     Taiwan's leader says government to propose record defence spending for 2027
   • Die Zeit (Germany)09:32
     Taiwankonflikt: Taiwans Regierung plant 2027 Rekordausgaben für die Verteidigung

     Das höhere Militärbudget zeige die Entschiedenheit Taiwans, seine Verteidigung auszubauen, sagte Präsident Lai. Derweil nimmt der Druck aus Festlandchina weiter zu.

   • Die Zeit (Germany)09:32
     Taiwan-Konflikt: Taiwans Regierung plant 2027 Rekordausgaben für die Verteidigung

     URL changednow www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2026-08/militaerausgaben-taiwan-verteidigungshaushalt-lai-ching-te-china-gxe

     Das höhere Militärbudget zeige die Entschiedenheit Taiwans, seine Verteidigung auszubauen, sagte Präsident Lai. Derweil nimmt der Druck aus Festlandchina weiter zu.

   • taipeitimes.com16:00edited after publishing
     Cuts hamper fight on Chinese disinformation

     previouslyCuts hamper fight on Chinese disinfo

     Heavy cuts to government media budgets in this year’s general budget would weaken Taiwan’s ability to counter Chinese disinformation and cognitive warfare, a researcher said on Sunday. The legislature on Friday passed the central government’s annual budget, but slashed the media budgets of all gover

   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     Taiwan’s excess savings skyrocketing

     Taiwan’s excess savings are expected to reach a record NT$11 trillion (US$345 billion) next year, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom boosts the country’s exports and current account surplus, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.With excess savings expected

   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     Lai announces NT$10,000 cash handout

     The government would allocate NT$235.7 billion (US$7.4 billion) in next year’s budget to fund a NT$10,000 cash payment for every citizen next year as the economy continues to grow, President William Lai (賴清德) announced yesterday.Lai made the announcement after being briefed on the Executive Yuan’s p

   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     Cabinet will not countersign youth account bill

     The Executive Yuan will not countersign the opposition-backed Youth Development and Future Account Act (台灣兒少成長及未來帳戶條例), which passed the third reading in the legislature last month, Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday.It is the sixth bill passed by the Legislative Yuan that the Exe

   • taipeitimes.com16:00
     KMT criticizes Lai’s handout initiative

     President William Lai’s (賴清德) announcement yesterday of a NT$10,000 cash handout represented a major reversal of his administration’s policy, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said, calling it the “ultimate political irony.” Lai yesterday said the proposed central government budget for next year w

8. Tue, 18 August 2026

   1 report
   • RMF24 (Poland)09:34
     Tajwan zarabia miliardy na technologii. Władze rozdadzą pieniądze obywatelom

     Tajwan zarabia miliardy na technologii. Władze rozdadzą pieniądze obywatelom

9. Thu, 20 August 2026

   5 reports
   • Japan Times05:21
     Defense Ministry to seek record ¥8.9 trillion in fiscal 2027 budget

     The planned outlay, however, is likely to swell further in a draft government budget to be adopted at year-end.

   • Bloomberg Politics07:52
     Taiwan Cabinet Approves Record $35.1 Billion for Defense in 2027

     Taiwan’s cabinet approved a record NT$1.12 trillion ($35.1 billion) defense budget for next year, highlighting its push to deter China militarily.

   • Japan Times11:43
     Taiwan proposes boosting 2027 defense spending 18% to a record high

     Taiwan also faces calls from Washington to spend more on its own defense, mirroring U.S. pressure on Europe, something President Lai Ching-te has enthusiastically embraced.

   • South China Morning Post13:00
     Taiwan proposes record US$35b defence budget for 2027 as PLA’s pressure grows

     Taiwan has unveiled a record NT$1.12 trillion (US$35 billion) defence budget for 2027, with sharp increases in spending on weapons, ammunition and military operations amid growing pressure from Beijing. The proposed spending – the first to cross the NT$1 trillion threshold – is NT$173 billion, or 18.2 per cent, higher than this year’s allocation, according to the government budget approved by the cabinet on Thursday. It accounts for about 28.6 per cent of the government’s proposed NT$3.93...

   • theepochtimes.com21:23
     Taiwan Proposes $35 Billion in Defense Spending as Drone Funding Fight Continues

     The Defense Ministry would get a 23 percent increase as Taipei pushes ahead with weapons purchases and an expansion of unmanned forces.

10. Sat, 22 August 2026

    1 report
    • ltn.com.tw19:00
      《TAIPEI TIMES》 Legislature loses ‘friendship’ travel funds - 焦點 - 自由時報電子報

      FAIR?That the budget cuts affected the Legislative Yuan shows that they aimed to rein in government spending and were not targeted at the Executive Yuan, a legislator saidBy Chen Cheng-yu and Lo Kuo-chia / Staff reporters

11. Tue, 1 September 2026

    1 report
    • taipeitimes.com16:00
      Farce of KMT’s so-called fiscal discipline

      Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) has floated the idea of the party proposing a universal cash payment next year of NT$20,000 to NT$30,000 (US$632 to US$948), greater than the planned NT$10,000 proposed by the government.What seems like simply advocating for extra cash for

12. Wed, 2 September 2026

    2 reports
    • focustaiwan.tw12:13
      Taiwan's population of young people shrinking, 85+ to rise above 500K: NDC

      Taiwan's population faces two key milestones in 2027: the number of 18-year-olds will fall below 200,000 and the 85-and-older group will surpass 500,000 for the first time, according to the latest government projections.

    • focustaiwan.tw12:13
      Taiwan's population of young people shrinking, 85+ to rise above 500K: NDC

      Taiwan's population faces two key milestones in 2027: the number of 18-year-olds will fall below 200,000 and the 85-and-older group will surpass 500,000 for the first time, according to the latest government projections.

13. Thu, 3 September 2026

    1 report
    • South China Morning Post14:00
      Extra funds push Taiwan’s defence spending past NT$1 trillion for the first time

      Taiwan’s cabinet approved a supplementary defence budget of NT$145.7 billion (US$4.6 billion) on Thursday, pushing the island’s total defence-related spending for this year above NT$1 trillion for the first time. The additional funding is expected to raise this year’s overall defence spending from 3.32 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to about 3.83 per cent, the highest level in decades. The supplementary budget, which still requires legislative approval, is aimed at plugging gaps...